s, with villages springing up
on every water course, than to retain her few thousands of slaves, the
profit of which to the owner is really questionable? But I do not
intend to write a lecture on slavery, but these thoughts would intrude
themselves upon me as I was traveling through this beautiful wilderness
country; for I can say with the greatest sincerity that I know of no
part of the world that it is so desirable to locate in as this, but
with this objection the country never will be settled densely, for the
simple reason that emigrants from the South prefer going to a more
southern climate, where their negroes can be made more profitable
raising cotton and sugar, to going into the west part of Missouri, and
emigrants from the North object to settling in a slave state.

May 1st. Remained encamped as before. Weather more moderate but too
cold for grass to grow.

2d. Remain camped as before. Sent down the river five miles and got 30
bushels of corn in the ear at 90 cents per bushel; bought 11 bushels of
shelled corn at the camp for one dollar per bushel, which we got ground
into meal. Commenced raining in the afternoon, and rained all night; we
had a very disagreeable time of it.

3d. Got our stores mostly on board and crossed the Missouri, and drove
six miles to the Bluffs, and camped. We found the whole six miles a
camping ground, and a good sized city of tents at the Bluffs, probably
six thousand men. Weather still cold.

6 miles.

4th. Remain camped at the same place. Went back to the town and got the
remainder of our supplies; had a very warm day, but a cold night before
it--ice made 3/4ths of an inch thick.

5th. Sunday. Remained camped at the same place; had a pleasant day.
There was a funeral down at the lower end of the camp to-day; it was
about a mile from our camp, I did not learn the particulars. Met at
night to try and organize a company; chose a committee and adjourned
until the next night at five o'clock.

6th. Remained at the same place. Went to town to try the Post Office
again before we started, but found nothing. By the way, I forgot to say
that we are in the Nebraska Territory now, and on the Indian lands. The
Indians do not like it very well that the whites camp on their ground
on account of cutting timber. (There are about 500 of them camped near
us.) The men met again to organize; I was not present, but they made
out nothing. We concluded to go with the same company that we had been
i